Composite handle



United States Patent O 3,499,693 COMPOSITE HANDLE Elmer Whitehead, Azusa, Calif. (1602 Sereuada Ave., Las Vegas, Nev. 89109) Filed Mar. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 713,845 Int. Cl. A47b 8.1/06, 95 02; G11b 1 00 U.S. Cl. 312-8 10 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE The invention involves a novel handle adapted for use on a plurality of doors. The handle comprises a plurality of discrete parts each of which is attached to one door, but which collectively present a unitary structure when the doors are closed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention is directed to the art of handlesI and more particularly to handles that are both decorative and functional.

The prior art relating to the invention generally provides a plurality of separate and distinct handles for doors, usually consisting of knobs or knob-like structures. A separate knob is attached to each door and there is no inter-relationship between each knob, other than the fact that they might be identical. Applicants invention provides the function of enabling one to open each door individually or together, but additionally provides a single handle with discrete parts which serve to present a unitary, integrated structure, comprised of the discrete parts, when the door is in a closed position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide a novel composite handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a composite handle consisting of a plurality of separate and distinct elements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a composite handle having a plurality of discrete parts, wherein each part is adapted to be attached to a single door.

A still further object of the invention is to providea composite handle for a cabinet having a plurality of doors, wherein discrete parts of the handle are attached to different doors, but wherein the discrete parts are so located as to form a unitary structure when the doors are closed.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a single handle for a plurality of doors of a cabinet such that the handle presents a unitary design when the doors are closed and, furthermore, wherein the handle is in the form of an insignia which serves to connote the function of the cabinet and the identity of its components.

Another object of the invention is to provide cabinet doors with a composite handle which enables one to easily open one or more doors either alone or simultaneously.

The invention generally comprises a handle for a cabinet having a plurality of doors. The integral handle consists of a number of parts, said number of parts corresponding to the number of doors on the cabinet. Each part is attached to one door, and is located on the outside of the door at a point which is opposite the hinged portion. The integral handle itself forms a design or insignia which serves to connote the function of the cabinet. For example, if the cabinet contained radiophonograph equipment, the insignia would be of a musical nature, such as a harp, a note, a clef, a scale, etc. The insignia itself is divided into parts with different parts 3,499,693 Patented Mar. 10, 1970 ice being placed on different doors. If the cabinet has only two doors, one part of the insignia is placed on one door opposite its hinged end and the other part is placed on the other door opposite its hinged end. When the doors are closed, the parts coact to present the insignia which denotes the function of the cabinet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet with closed doors and with the composite handle in place.

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the composite handle.

FIGURE 3 is a top view of the lower two sections of the composite handle as viewed from sectional lines 1-1 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom view of the upper two sections of the composite handle as viewed from sectional lines 2 2 of FIGURE 2..

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 'Ille invention is directed to a composite handle for` a plurality of doors on a cabinet-like structure.

With reference to FIGURE 1, the cabinet 1 has doors 2, 4, 6 and 8 on one side thereof. The composite handle, in the form of a clef, is attached to the doors. The composite handle is comprised of segments 3, 5, 7 and 9, all of which taken together from the insignia. Doors 2, 4, -6 and 8 are supported by suitable hinges (not shown) located at points 10, 12, 14 and 16, thereby enabling each door to swing outwards from the center line of cabinet 1.

Segment 3 of the composite handle is attached by suitable fastening means to the lower right hand corner of door 2. Segment 5 of the composite handle is attached by suitable fastening means to the lower left hand corner of door 4. Segment 7 of the composite handle is attached by suitable fastening means to the upper right hand corner of door 6. Segment 9 of the composite handle is attached by suitable fastening means to the upper left hand corner of door 8.

With reference to FIGURE 3, segment 7 has a flat outer surface 17 extending across the entire outside face of the segment 7. Segment 7 also has a flat inner surface 18, but this inner surface extends only along a portion of the width of segment 7. The remaining portion 19 of the inner surface of segment 7 extends towards the outer surface 17 of segment 7 in a concave fashion. Segment 9 also has a portion 20 of its inner surface 21 extending towards the outer surface 22 of segment 7 in a concave fashion. Portions 23 and 24 of segments 3 and 5 extend in a likewise manner to form concave portions on each segment. It should be noted that the cross-section along the length of each segment is constant, and the cross-section along the length of each pair of segments 3 and 7 and 5 and 9 (when placed as shown in FIGURE l) are also constant.

The inner surfaces 25, 26, 18 and 21 of segments 3, 5, 7 and 9, respectively, are adapted to be mounted flush against doors 2, 4, 6 and 8, respectively, as hereinabove set forth. When so mounted, recesses are provided between the surface of each door and each portion of the segments. If one desires to open only door 4, he can place his fingers in the recess provided at 24 of segment 5 and pull the door open. Each of the other doors, 2, 6 and 8 can be individually opened in a like manner. In the event one desires to open both doors 4 and 8 on one side of the cabinet 1, he can readily place his lingers in the recesses formed at 24 and 20 of segments l5 and 9 and pull both doors open. Both doors can easily be opened because the recesses at 24 and 20 of segments 5 and 9 are in alignment. Doors 2 and 6 can vlikewise be opened simultaneously.

, 3 It is now apparent that applicant has provided a com- Y posite Yhandle of a unitary design-for use on-al cabinetV to one of said doors,` at alocation opposite said hinges,

A- whereby -said segments serve to form Vsaid composite the presence of musical equipment. In this embodiment, Y

the cabinet 1 would obviously contain musical equipment. In the event a composite handle were on a pantry, the handle would appropriately have as a design somef thing relating to a pantry such as pots, pans, etc. If the cabinet housed a television set, the composite-handle might take the form of a television camera.

The composite handle can be made of any material such as wood, plastic or metal. For esthetic considerations, a preferred embodiment would be to use the sarne material for the handle as is used for the cabinet.

The drawings show an embodiment of the invention wherein four doors are employed. It is readily apparent that the invention can be employed on a two-door cabinet or any cabinet having a plurality of doors. In such cases, the composite handle would have as many segments as there are doors having a common plane of closure.

The segments of the composite handle can be attached to the respective doors by any suitable fastening means, such as adhesives, screws, or bolts, without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a cabinet, a plurality of doors on one side of said cabinet, said doors being pivotally mounted on hinges located on the sides of said cabinet, a composite handle, said composite handle having a number of segments corresponding to the number of doors, each segment of said composite handle being attached handle when the doors are in a closed position.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said cabinet has two doors and said composite handle has two segments. l

3. The combination set forth in `claim 1 wherein said cabinet has` four doors and said composite handle has four segments. y v *j n y 4. The combination setI forth in claim 1 wherein said cabinet contains a certain type of equipment andvwherein said composite handle is in the form of an insignia which connotes the type of equipment."

5. ,The combination set forth in claim `4 wherein said equipment is musical in nature and said composite handle is in the form of a musical insignia. i

6;.: The combination set forth in claim 5 wherein the doors and the composite handle are made from the same material.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 Whereinla recess is formed between a .portion of each segment and the door to whichrthe segment is attached.

8. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein a recess is formed between a portion of each segment and the door to which the segment is attached.

9. The combination set forth in claim 8 wherein the recesses formed by a pair of segments are in substantial alignment. 'i y 10. `The combination set forth in claim 9 wherein each pair of Vsegments has a constant cross-sectional area extending along its length.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,842,420 7/1958 Hansen et al. 312-320 3,337,284 s/1967 Marioux 312-204 X CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner U.s.'c1. X.R. 16-110" 

